Tendai Ruben Mbofana
As such, it is without doubt how it grieves my heart, with so much anguish and pain, whenever the name of our Jehovah God is treated in vain.
The agony becomes even more unbearable when the Christian Church is itself at the forefront of the egregious blaspheming of this Holy name.
This is more pronounced when various Christian leaders transform their church gatherings into political rallies – where brutal oppressive thieving politicians are permitted to freely use pulpits as campaign platforms.
I can never adequately describe the indignation that grips me whenever I witness such atrocious occurrences.
I then ask myself, “If Christians are now willing agents of the devil, as they promote corrupt ruthless politicians, what image of Jesus Christ are they portraying to the world”?
Why would anyone want to become a believer and follower of a God who seemingly promotes, endorses and supports those who have destroyed the lives of ordinary citizens – whilst also savagely persecuting and killing those who dare speak and stand up against such diabolical injustices?
Surely, should it then shock anyone when the world – which is supposed to be the domain and realm of Satan – now mocks and ridicules the Christian Church as nothing more than hypocrites and pretenders?
What else are people expected to conclude, when they watch those who ostensibly represent God Almighty become purveyors and agents of evil and darkness?
Those are very disturbing and unsettling thoughts that haunted me throughout the weekend – as I observed, in utter disgust and revulsion – our various church gatherings around Zimbabwe turned into arenas for shameless looters and oppressors to campaign freely.
No wonder our Lord Jesus Christ made a whip and turned over tables and stalls, at the Temple in Jerusalem – aptly likening the lurid activities taking place there as turning God’s house into a den of thieves.
If I had the divine mandate, I would not have hesitated taking a whip to all those who had made their church services into ruling ZANU PF political rallies!
As the Church, we are expected to be the moral compass of the nation – being the light of the world and salt of the earth.
That is why we speak against all manner of sin and moral decadence – such as murder, lying, stealing, sexual violation and promiscuity, and even the present scourge or drug and substance abuse.
Why then do we end up pleading our unflinching and unquestioning support for a political ruling elite that has caused unimaginable mayhem and suffering in the country?
What image of the Church are we painting when we promote a powerful clique that has authored the untold poverty and misery of millions of ordinary Zimbabweans – including congregants in those Christian denominations?
How do we reconcile and explain such shameful undeniable hypocrisy and double standards?
Indeed, the Bible does urge, ‘first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness’ (1 Timothy 2:1-7).
However, praying for someone does not, and can never, translate to supporting them.
I always make the point that, even our Lord Jesus Christ earnestly prayed for those who were busy crucifying and killing Him – for our Heavenly Father to forgive them – but, this never meant that He somehow endorsed their acts, and supported them.
In the same vein, granted, we need to pray for all people, including those in authority – as that is exactly what the verse says – so that ‘we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness’.
We should pray for peace in our homes, communities and country, as well as for all of us to live God-fearing righteous lives.
In other words, we also should be praying for our political leaders to be godly and holy people – who desist from the evil wicked ways that they have been walking all this time.
We, as Christians, need to tell, without fear or favor, the ruling elite to cease forthwith, all their plundering of our vast national resources – which has left millions of Zimbabweans in dire poverty, and unable to access the most basic of rights and necessities.
We need to boldly tell those in power that God gave all Zimbabweans these abundant resources – in order for all of us to equally benefit – and it is a sin for them to steal these for their own enrichment, whilst the rest of us suffer.
The same logic applies to the entire, ‘everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established’ (Romans 13 1).
Admittedly, we all need to submit ourselves to authority – just as the same Bible instructs ‘wives to submit themselves to their husbands’ (Ephesians 5:22).
Yet, just as with wives, we are not being commanded to blindly follow and be passively subservient to those in authority – especially, when they are openly defying the same God, by oppressing and abusing us.
I really do not know what some of these church organization teach their congregants – nevertheless, I sure hope they do not tell wives to meekly obey, and remain docile and dormant to their husbands (as they are in authority) – even when being wantonly abused and violated.
Maybe that is what they teach – but, my own understanding is that, submission and subservience are two totally different things.
This also applies to how a nation relates to their leaders.
We are not mere doormats, who can be trampled upon without expressing our objections and disgruntlement.
Furthermore, leaders who believe to have been ‘appointed by God’ need to show this by their ‘godliness and holiness’ in their everyday lives and leadership qualities.
This is the same principle that applies for husbands, who are commanded ‘to love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her’ (Ephesians 5:25).
Our Jehovah is a just God – and, He always knows how to balance things fairly.
Thus, as much as we are obligated to submit ourselves to those in authority – they (in authority) are also compelled to respect and honor us – whilst proving their own allegiance and submission to God, who is the ultimate authority.
This is not through simply reciting some biblical verses when it suits them – especially in front of Christian gatherings – but, by means of living a sinless life, which incorporates respect for the citizenry’s human dignity,
We need to see national leaders who place the lives and livelihoods of those they lead ahead of themselves.
This means not looting our gold, diamonds, chrome, and lithium, or misappropriating funds from our Treasury, for their own self-aggrandizement.
Truly God-fearing leaders will never persecute, abuse and brutalized the same people our Heavenly Father has appointed them to lead.
Nonetheless, this is exactly what we witness, in sheer horror, with those in power in Zimbabwe.
Where are the true Christians when all this evil and wickedness is taking place unchecked – more so, when carried out in the name of God?
Why are we not stepping up, so as to be the real ‘light of the world and salt of the earth’?
Why are we merely sitting back, whilst those in authority ride roughshod over the children of God – as they practice every sin and evil under the sun – without calling them to order?
Is that not what being ‘the light of the world’ entails – bringing the truth about the word of God, as we push out darkness?
It is even more disturbing when we allow wolves in sheep’s clothing – masquerading as Christian leaders – freely go about deceiving the flock of God, as they brazenly turn the Church into a den of thieves.
Who does not know that these so-called ‘men of God’ are actually benefiting directly from this ruthless crooked political elite?
Have we already forgotten about wicked King Ahab and his wife Jezebel – with their coterie of false prophets – who pretended to worship the true God, yet really under the authority of Baal?
Where are the genuine followers and believers of Christ – when evil men are taking over the Body of Christ – bringing all manner of criminals and gangsters to parade themselves as ‘appointed by God’, and as such worthy of support?
I am truly hurt and my soul is disquieted!
Surely, do we ever consider what Christ is feeling when He watches His name being used in vain, in justifying and condoning evil?
I now understand what Jesus meant in Matthew 24:24, when he warned that, ‘they shall deceive the very elect’!
We need to be ashamed as Christians!
It is times like these that I earnestly pray for Jesus to return, so as to take us away from, and put an end to, this wicked word!
● Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com or visit website: http://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
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